Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe (with Crab!)
This is the Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe since I've also added crab! It's a decadent, impressive pasta recipe that easily comes together in less than 30 minutes. This is a recipe that will really wow your friends and family.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 525kcal
Ingredients
- ½ pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- ½ pound shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
- ¼-1/2 pound cooked crab meat pieces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves stems removed
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- ½ lemon 1 tablespoon zest + juiced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Optional garnishes: Freshly grated parmesan cheese, sliced fresh basil, minced parsley
- Salt and Black Pepper as desired
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once al dente, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Dry shrimp with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sear the shrimp 30 seconds on each side. Remove from the pan, and set aside
- To the pan, add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once melted, sauté garlic and shallot for 1-2 minutes, or until caramelized.
- Add the fresh basil and crushed red pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Gently pour in the vegetable stock, lemon juice, and zest. Stir occasionally, cook until the volume of the liquid is reduced by half.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the remaining butter.
- Fold the shrimp, crab, parsley, pasta, and reserved pasta water into the butter mixture. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve and garish as desired.
Video
Notes
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- Shrimp Options: Regardless of the type of shrimp you choose, it's essential to ensure that they are fresh or properly thawed if using frozen shrimp. Large shrimp, jumbo shrimp, extra-large shrimp, gulf shrimp, pacific white shrimp, black tiger shrimp, rock shrimp, Argentine red shrimp, and wild-caught shrimp all work great!
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- Wine Selection: Scampi typically uses white wine as the liquid to the sauce instead of the vegetable broth as used in this recipe. If using wine instead, choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
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- Pasta Prep: "Al dente" is an Italian term that translates to "to the tooth" in English. It describes the texture of pasta when it is cooked to be firm to the bite, offering some resistance without being overly soft or mushy.
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- Seasoning: Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes based on your spice preference.
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- Crab Options: You can use lump crab meat, fresh crab meat, king crab, jumbo lump crab or Dungeness crab.
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- Crab Alternatives: If crab is unavailable or you prefer an alternative, you can use other seafood like lobster, scallops, or even additional shrimp. While fresh crab is preferred for its natural sweetness and texture, imitation crab, also known as surimi, can be a convenient and more budget-friendly alternative. Keep in mind the texture and flavor will differ. You can adjust the cooking time and amount as desired.
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- Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles if you need a gluten-free alternative.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 944IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg
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